The people’s crossover is the 2020 Volkswagen ID Crozz

An electric crossover that handles like a Golf GTI? German giant Volkswagen is pledging to offer 23 all-electric cars by the year 2025, starting with the just-revealed ID Crozz in 2020…

As part of its plan for mass electrification by the year 2022 German giant Volkswagen is investing 6 billion euros into electric mobility over the next five years.

One of the key products in this push is a crossover “Golf of the future” (because everything in the future will be a crossover) which is green-lit for production in 2020.

This week at the Frankfurt motor show we got a glimpse into this new key model, with the ID Crozz concept having just made its global premiere.

Volkswagen plans to introduce the I.D. Cross as a core seller in 2020 alongside the ID compact four-door and ID Buzz minivan (a modern interpretation of the classic VW Bus), but by 2025 the company plans to have a line-up offering an unprecedented 23 all-electric models. You see what a little diesel hate can do?

The ID Cross crossover follows the ever-trendy coupe-SUV design theme, highlighted by a wide bonnet, contoured wings and a contrasting roof finished in a high-gloss black. A signature VW light graphic up front comes courtesy of full LED headlights.

Occupants will benefit from a spacious interior and versatile seating arrangement (batteries in the floor, no transmission tunnel, etc.), and large swinging and sliding doors thanks to the lack of a B-pillar — if this makes it into production ID Crozz owners will be able to throw a bicycle in there with ease.

As a zero-emission vehicle, the ID Cross drives all four wheels with one electric motor per axle affording a driving range of 500km on a single charge and a total of 300 system horsepower. Volkswagen says top speed is 180km/h, and the lithium-ion batteries can be juiced up to 80 percent of capacity in 30 minutes using a fast-charging system.

Thanks to the batteries located low and in the centre of the car the ID Cross boasts a 50:50 weight distribution which, according to the maker, affords the car Golf GTI-like driving dynamics. To tighten things up Wolfsburg’s engineers went with electronically controlled dampers, a new multi-link rear suspension design and newly-developed MacPherson struts.

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